Obama appoints trans attorney to presidential commission

The Victory Fund and Institute this week congratulated Shannon Minter on his appointment to the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships. The Commission interviews national finalists for White House Fellowships and recommends the most qualified candidates to the President to spend a year as full-time paid assistants to senior White House staff and other top-ranking government officials.“I am deeply honored to serve on the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships, which provides a unique opportunity for new leaders to gain a firsthand experience of our nation’s government,” said Minter. “As a transgender man, I am especially grateful to President Obama for his commitment to building a government that reflects the full diversity of our country and for supporting equal opportunity for all people.”Currently, Minter works as the legal director at the National Center for Lesbian Rights and has been with the NCLR since 1993. Minter was lead counsel for same-sex couples in the landmark California marriage equality case and has been a leader in litigating LGBTQ family cases.“Shannon is one of the smartest and most dedicated people working to level the playing field for LGBTQ Americans. He’ll bring those same talents to this prestigious role, and we applaud the White House and congratulate Shannon on this great news,” said Aisha Moodie-Mills, president and CEO of the Victory Fund and Institute.Minter now joins a handful of other transgender officials appointed by the Obama Administration, which has appointed more openly LGBTQ individuals than all previous presidential administrations combined. The Victory Institute continues to work through our Presidential Appointments Project to recommend LGBTQ professionals seeking opportunities to improve the federal government’s policies and processes, and to ensure that LGBTQ people have a seat at the table.